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worsetodiePlayer's Name: Rei
Are you over 16? yes
Characters Played Here: Mozenrath |mightymorbid
Character: Rumpelstiltskin
Series/Canon: Once Upon a Time
From When? From the end of season 2.
Previous Game(s):![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
lastvoyages
History: Pre-Curse History
Post-Curse History, up to and including what's aired in Season 3, which I'm not updating to.
Rumpelstiltskin was brought to the Barge during the latter events of the episode "The Queen of Hearts," where a wild magic surge served as a potential/possible near death experience for him. The Barge, a ship for redeeming the souls of the dead and near-dead, was to be his home for some months. There he formed a bond or two but mostly made a lot of acquaintances and served as a sounding board for Inmate dissatisfaction. The most significant friendship he forged was with a child Inmate, Arya Stark, who had little (but at least some) patience for his inability to treat her like an adult.
His one Warden, Rex Lewis, was not a man he disliked either. Rex, a little wet behind the ears as a Warden, was fair without allowing Rumpelstiltskin to walk all over him. One of the first things they did in order to establish trust between the two of them was form a written contract that outlined the rules they were both to follow and expectations to meet. One cannot say that Rumpelstiltskin became protective of Rex, but he appreciated the young man's willingness to trust him with the full range of his magic within the boundaries of their contract (and his choice to look away if he happened to find a clever way around any of those rules). As such he at least acknowledged their pact by responding in kind to attacks against the other man.
His graduation came when the Barge was drawn to a hell dimension called Silent Hill, where his magic disappeared. There, plagued by phantoms of his son, Baelfire (still a child) fleeing through the ruins of an ash-covered, demon-infested city. Continued temptations to make selfish decisions that endangered himself just as much as his Warden saw the slow return of his magic, but only its darkest aspects, reflected in his appearance, which as time went on began to revert to what it was when he was first the Dark One. His magic seemed to feed the shadows that plagued them, and ultimately, realizing this was not his son, that this was not what his son would have wanted, he refused that dimension's call and with the help of his Warden defeated the demon that had taken Bae's form -- without the use of magic.
They returned to the Barge and there, the Admiral offered Rumpelstiltskin his graduation. It was suggested in passing that he could relinquish the dagger of the Dark One and simply be a man again. He refused, stating that, returning, things would have to go as they are meant to. For this to happen, he must remain the Dark One.
Skip forward to the end of Season 2 of the show. He believes his son is dead and that he must due to save his grandson. He returned to the Barge hoping to rehabilitate an Inmate in order to ensure Neal's wounds would not kill him. He failed at this task. Having accepted his fate, he is taking up with Eli in New Dodge in the hopes of making use of their technology, maybe not necessarily to undo anything he's done? But to ensure that his grandson, the woman his son loved, and the rest of their family return from Neverland safely once his deed is done.
Personality: Something that has remained true of Rumpelstiltskin even before his transformation into the Dark One is that he is (and for the most part remains) a fearful person. The word "coward" is used quite often to describe him, at all points in his life, and it's a word that stings him personally, though inwardly he never disagreed with it. He became infamous in his own village when he went to war and then fled the field of battle -- hobbling himself so that he might be sent home. Though his motivations were to prevent his son being raised without a father, much of this comes from a general lack of feelings of self-worth that are not tied to power and his own desperate fear of abandonment. Before becoming the Dark One and after leaving the war, Rumpelstiltskin didn't believe himself to be much of anything, and most people agreed. A lonely spinner, disabled, a coward, cuckolded and abandoned by his wife -- he thought himself ugly (and sometimes still does) and stopped believing he was really very good at anything but his job. He didn't seem to think himself a good husband, and after the loss of his wife and his dignity he held onto his son desperately, just for want to be connected to something that gave him some personal value -- and because he continued to live in fear that he would lose him. As a father he means something to somebody, and without Baelfire, he sees himself as meaning nothing to anybody, unless they want something from him -- something his power as the Dark One uses to wicked effect. His cowardice ties back into this, as even though he loves his son dearly, he lost him because he was too afraid to let go of that power in order to stay with him. Without Bae he is wretched, and without the power he is nothing at all. Even when planning to become part of the Curse, he made deals to still assume some power -- wishing, even, to be someone wealthy and respectable, all of the things he didn't see himself as when he was a man -- because by no fault of anyone else, he lost the ability to see himself as such.
Having power as the Dark One therefore gives him purpose and a means to exert his will on others. It makes him something of a bully, to be certain, but then this also appears partially to be his perception of people who were stronger than him before. He has made claims at least to himself that he'd be willing to give up the power for good if he can just find his son, but it's doubtful, especially since when he finally did find his son, all ideas of simply being glad he was there went out the window when he offered to use magic to try to make Bae (now Neal) a boy again if that was what he wanted. When given the chance the first time he couldn't do it (and he regretted it), and he's accepted at this point in the canon, openly, that he's a coward, whether he says it's for his son or not. He promised himself he'd give it up once he found Bae (even if he seemed interested in doing so when Pinnochio tricked him into thinking he was his son) remained part of a far off and distant goal, for him. Even while he was in the world where his son was waiting for him, even if centuries had passed, the closer his goal came, the more anxious it made him. In the end he didn't do what he set out to do, and he believes his choices cost him the life of his son.
Contracts have become an important part of Rumpelstiltskin's life since becoming the Dark One, largely because he was tricked into assuming the mantle by the previous one, without fully knowing what it would entail. True to the old man's words, he has never misunderstood a deal since, and he has also only ever broken one: his promise to his son that he would go with him to a world without magic if he found a way. In a long, roundabout way, he somewhat holds that he kept it, even if it took him almost 300 years to get there. The point is that while Rumpelstiltskin can be a bit...slippery, he's also very good on following through his deals to the letter and expecting people to do the same. The trouble is that he plays with words too much, so often less than clever persons might not fully understand what they're bargaining for, and Rumpelstiltskin will be the first to tell you that all boons, particularly magical ones, come at a price. He believes this even of good magic, because he refuses to believe it is really so different from evil magic, no matter what others say. While contracts can be amended for new favors, he does not do this lightly, and he's proven himself to be especially vicious to people who fail to meet their end of a bargain.
Being Mr. Gold has affected Rumpelstiltskin in terms of personality and mannerisms, as mentioned before. For one, as the "respectable" but still quite shrewd Mr. Gold, he saw himself perhaps as not necessarily more attractive, but less beastly. It allowed him to see himself as the man he once was, but enhanced. It is strongly implied that he regained himself the quickest among the cursed denizens of Storybrooke -- likely the second Emma came to Storybrooke and mentioned her name in his presence, if not before. However, twenty-eight years playing a specific role can have an effect on a person. With regard to him, specifically, he appears overall more patient, and less overtly like he's toying with everyone he talks to. Regardless of his appearance, the more impish inflections and propensity toward inappropriate laughter are all but gone, his voice reflecting his deeper, more normal voice from before, with perhaps a slightly more sophisticated turn of phrase. He does less with his hands, where once every thought expressed aloud seemed to come with numerous dramatic gestures. He's still one to mince words just a bit, but he does so with an air of a crooked but ridiculously effective lawyer rather than fae. What he maintains, other than his love of fine print, is a rather explosive temper. When angered, he has always been quick to retaliate, often with violence or at least a strong verbal lashing. In this state he might be quick to draw conclusions where there should be none and say many things he will regret later. There are few people who can rile him up that far, and even so they have to try hard. His exchanges are more a game of cat and mouse, and he only loses his temper when the advantage is stolen from him and it takes him by surprise, such as learning his wife was alive, or if he has some pent-up aggression to deal with, seen in his encounters with Belle's father, whom he blamed for her supposed death.
He has killed thoughtlessly and without remorse, and this is important to note. Very few people other than himself have mattered in the grand scheme of things, and if truly angered the only thing that seems to keep him from threatening the life of another person is if they are already imminently useful to him in some way, part of some greater plan.
It needs to be noted that since Emma Swan's arrival in Storybrooke, Rumpelstiltskin has gone through some significant changes all on his own. He did finally come to terms with the poor decisions he made that led him to losing his son, and he seemed quite ready to make amends, until, of course, he discovered he had opened up to an impostor. Despite a tearful revelation (no different, really, from his sudden desire to change his mind after it was too late when he first lost his son), he seemed to become all the more intent on his goals as a result. He has even, at Belle's behest, attempted to do more good and less magic, in general, but it's a promise that he repeatedly breaks. Most of the time he has simply kept it hidden from her. It's important to note that he seems to be willing to TRY to change for her, but he has also recently seen reason enough to be completely honest with her. He's a coward, and he will likely continue to be a coward. He uses magic, and he will likely continue to use magic. His willingness to attempt for her sake, and later Baelfire's sake, at least puts him back in a position he was in before the boy disappeared. For a while, it meant there were two people in existence that could sway his judgment and keep his "light" glowing, as the Blue Fairy put it. Discovering that Henry Mills is Baelfire's son, making Snow White's family now part of his family, expanded this even further. The trouble is that he recognizes that magic is a crutch, and he's lived almost his whole life relying on one crutch or another, so he's not at all certain he really can stop. "I can't walk without it," he tells Belle.
Changes from the Barge and the End of Season 2: On the Barge, Rumpelstiltskin found a little more courage, if nothing else. As he would have at the end of season 2 without the Barge's intervention, he accepts his son's death and believes that fulfilling the prophecy and dying to save Henry is the only thing he has left to live for. (Because even he doesn't ever remember that the word "undoing," used in the prophecy, can have multiple meanings.) He returned to the Barge once hoping he could ensure Baelfire's survival, and a key difference between him and a Rumpelstiltskin thatn ever went to the Barge is that even if Bae were to have survived, he would still be willing to let the prophecy go as planned. Perhaps the Barge and its existence gave him some hope or understanding that death may not be an end for him. Perhaps if he can't save Bae from death, he can be with him in the end after all. Yes, probably the most accurate summation of his change from Storybrooke to Barge and back again is that he has a stronger sense of calm. The fear that has motivated so much of his actions until now does not have so strong a hold on him anymore. He is still the Dark One, but it was not the Barge's job to change that. True love can break any curse, yes, and it is very possible that his own love for his son may have the power to do that in the future, if fate allows it.
Why do you think your character would work in this setting? He wants to study (possibly copy/steal) the technology that allows them to move from world to world and time to time. Accepting of his own fate, he wants this with the possibility of having a way to send his family home safely after he's died. I would like for him to open an antique and pawn shop, with various strange items from any worlds associated with the community turning up there (assumed to be coming in with regular shipments) -- people can hock their stuff or trade an item as collateral for money, etc, but the strange things that begin to appear, sometimes familiar things, sometimes potentially magic things, will be the bigger draw. The idea is for it to have something of a Needful Things feel, but it's also a creative way to keep little familiar things coming in so the people here don't become homesick so quickly.
Inventory: In hand he'll naturally have the clothes on his back and his cane. There will also be a trunk, enchanted to be bigger on the inside, containing:
-His full wardrobe
-A spinning wheel
-Straw
-His books
-Several of his magic knicknacks, including invisible chalk, baefire's scarf, the fairy godmother's wand, a simple gold ring, and others, most of which are kept in smaller locked boxes. Will ask for mod permission for other specifics if it's key to plot type stuff, well beforehand.
-Belle's cup, repaired.
-A gun and ammunition.
-Naturally, the Dark One's dagger. Also kept in a locked box, in a hidden compartment in the bottom of the trunk.
Samples: And now for the hard part! If you need a prompt for your samples, refer back to the Applications Page.
Third-Person Sample: (This is a sample I wrote for amatomnes, but I didn't really get to use it in character, and I was really proud of it.)
You can think of her, if you want.
Of course he had to wake up thinking those words, but he drew in a long, straining breath, like his lungs were stretching tiredly with the rest of his body, and he was satisfied to feel that the collar did not stifle the movement of air as it had. There remained odd sensations tickling the parts that still slept, pleasant ache, the nerve endings remembering spasms of pleasure come hours before that the thinking part of him tried not to dwell on.
Because he shouldn't. Because what happened the night before simply had to happen. It wasn't love or hate or even indifference. It was life or death, and while this damn collar was choking the life out of him he still hesitated, but not forever. Obviously, because there he was. Alive.
Now he was alone in bed, and he was glad of it, especially as he became still more conscious, more aware of how...soiled everything around him felt, including his own body and his memory of her.
When he had believed Belle dead, he had never allowed his mind to wander there. Not far. No matter how often it continue to occur to him, again and again, that she had been the one, and Regina had assured he would not see that for what it was.
Nearly three hundred years, and he had imagined that his first time after all of that, if it would come at all, would be something special. Something he would share with her, something he wanted to share with her, someday.
Instead it would be a complete stranger, who laughed a little when he said he didn't love her. It sounded mocking. He assumed it was. It didn't matter. Not to her. Not as far as the collar was concerned. And so he did what he had to do to stay alive. He tried to touch this stranger as a man would who did not live so much of his existence as one whom nearly nobody wished would touch them. To hold this person to him the way he would have her, and sometimes, when it mattered, when he was still thinking, it worked. He could close his eyes and think it was her soft hand that gripped his shoulder, her thigh brushing his side. And then he could spend half a minute losing his mind to his body's demand for release and not feel absolutely wretched -- for just a moment -- because somewhere, someone wanted him, and he would never see her again, or his son, if he did not find it in himself to stay alive.
Now he rose and dressed, even though he knew he would up-end himself into a bath shortly. His ankle complained, and he had to lean on the wall to get his trousers on. He never slept naked. It felt just as unnatural as the rest of the filth.
His eye caught the mirror on the wall -- he had been meaning to get rid of it. Now he thought of it again, because the man who stared back at him, a sheen of dried sweat marring his already rather mundane features, looked far too much like the pitiful excuse for a man he had been before there was ever a dagger with his name on it.
First-Person Sample: (Pretty much everything in this post clearly illustrates his general attitude at present. His first exercises as a Warden can be seen here as well as other exchanges. Below is a shorter sample from the main thread.)
[After his new Inmate denies hiding weapons he saw him throwing a blanket over.] Then put my mind at ease. [Because he looks oh, so troubled. He shakes his head.] Actually, I am going to make this very simple for you:
I don't care that you have weapons, and I won't until you give me a reason to care.
I don't care if you collect kittens with lasers mounted on their heads.
I don't care if you take mind-altering substances.
I don't care about your games or your plots.
...So long as I know about them. I won't even try to stop you in situations where others might. When you fail or succeed, we'll sit and have a chat about it. If you do something the rest of the Barge finds abhorrent and I am compelled to act on it, I will. If you are in danger from something other than your own machinations, I will intervene when needed.
Beyond that? [He shrugs.] I'm here. And I'll be watching. And I will probably always have something to say, but very rarely will I feel compelled to make you act.
Do you understand? Can we stop dancing about, now?
Are you over 16? yes
Characters Played Here: Mozenrath |
mightymorbidCharacter: Rumpelstiltskin
Series/Canon: Once Upon a Time
From When? From the end of season 2.
Previous Game(s):
lastvoyagesHistory: Pre-Curse History
Post-Curse History, up to and including what's aired in Season 3, which I'm not updating to.
Rumpelstiltskin was brought to the Barge during the latter events of the episode "The Queen of Hearts," where a wild magic surge served as a potential/possible near death experience for him. The Barge, a ship for redeeming the souls of the dead and near-dead, was to be his home for some months. There he formed a bond or two but mostly made a lot of acquaintances and served as a sounding board for Inmate dissatisfaction. The most significant friendship he forged was with a child Inmate, Arya Stark, who had little (but at least some) patience for his inability to treat her like an adult.
His one Warden, Rex Lewis, was not a man he disliked either. Rex, a little wet behind the ears as a Warden, was fair without allowing Rumpelstiltskin to walk all over him. One of the first things they did in order to establish trust between the two of them was form a written contract that outlined the rules they were both to follow and expectations to meet. One cannot say that Rumpelstiltskin became protective of Rex, but he appreciated the young man's willingness to trust him with the full range of his magic within the boundaries of their contract (and his choice to look away if he happened to find a clever way around any of those rules). As such he at least acknowledged their pact by responding in kind to attacks against the other man.
His graduation came when the Barge was drawn to a hell dimension called Silent Hill, where his magic disappeared. There, plagued by phantoms of his son, Baelfire (still a child) fleeing through the ruins of an ash-covered, demon-infested city. Continued temptations to make selfish decisions that endangered himself just as much as his Warden saw the slow return of his magic, but only its darkest aspects, reflected in his appearance, which as time went on began to revert to what it was when he was first the Dark One. His magic seemed to feed the shadows that plagued them, and ultimately, realizing this was not his son, that this was not what his son would have wanted, he refused that dimension's call and with the help of his Warden defeated the demon that had taken Bae's form -- without the use of magic.
They returned to the Barge and there, the Admiral offered Rumpelstiltskin his graduation. It was suggested in passing that he could relinquish the dagger of the Dark One and simply be a man again. He refused, stating that, returning, things would have to go as they are meant to. For this to happen, he must remain the Dark One.
Skip forward to the end of Season 2 of the show. He believes his son is dead and that he must due to save his grandson. He returned to the Barge hoping to rehabilitate an Inmate in order to ensure Neal's wounds would not kill him. He failed at this task. Having accepted his fate, he is taking up with Eli in New Dodge in the hopes of making use of their technology, maybe not necessarily to undo anything he's done? But to ensure that his grandson, the woman his son loved, and the rest of their family return from Neverland safely once his deed is done.
Personality: Something that has remained true of Rumpelstiltskin even before his transformation into the Dark One is that he is (and for the most part remains) a fearful person. The word "coward" is used quite often to describe him, at all points in his life, and it's a word that stings him personally, though inwardly he never disagreed with it. He became infamous in his own village when he went to war and then fled the field of battle -- hobbling himself so that he might be sent home. Though his motivations were to prevent his son being raised without a father, much of this comes from a general lack of feelings of self-worth that are not tied to power and his own desperate fear of abandonment. Before becoming the Dark One and after leaving the war, Rumpelstiltskin didn't believe himself to be much of anything, and most people agreed. A lonely spinner, disabled, a coward, cuckolded and abandoned by his wife -- he thought himself ugly (and sometimes still does) and stopped believing he was really very good at anything but his job. He didn't seem to think himself a good husband, and after the loss of his wife and his dignity he held onto his son desperately, just for want to be connected to something that gave him some personal value -- and because he continued to live in fear that he would lose him. As a father he means something to somebody, and without Baelfire, he sees himself as meaning nothing to anybody, unless they want something from him -- something his power as the Dark One uses to wicked effect. His cowardice ties back into this, as even though he loves his son dearly, he lost him because he was too afraid to let go of that power in order to stay with him. Without Bae he is wretched, and without the power he is nothing at all. Even when planning to become part of the Curse, he made deals to still assume some power -- wishing, even, to be someone wealthy and respectable, all of the things he didn't see himself as when he was a man -- because by no fault of anyone else, he lost the ability to see himself as such.
Having power as the Dark One therefore gives him purpose and a means to exert his will on others. It makes him something of a bully, to be certain, but then this also appears partially to be his perception of people who were stronger than him before. He has made claims at least to himself that he'd be willing to give up the power for good if he can just find his son, but it's doubtful, especially since when he finally did find his son, all ideas of simply being glad he was there went out the window when he offered to use magic to try to make Bae (now Neal) a boy again if that was what he wanted. When given the chance the first time he couldn't do it (and he regretted it), and he's accepted at this point in the canon, openly, that he's a coward, whether he says it's for his son or not. He promised himself he'd give it up once he found Bae (even if he seemed interested in doing so when Pinnochio tricked him into thinking he was his son) remained part of a far off and distant goal, for him. Even while he was in the world where his son was waiting for him, even if centuries had passed, the closer his goal came, the more anxious it made him. In the end he didn't do what he set out to do, and he believes his choices cost him the life of his son.
Contracts have become an important part of Rumpelstiltskin's life since becoming the Dark One, largely because he was tricked into assuming the mantle by the previous one, without fully knowing what it would entail. True to the old man's words, he has never misunderstood a deal since, and he has also only ever broken one: his promise to his son that he would go with him to a world without magic if he found a way. In a long, roundabout way, he somewhat holds that he kept it, even if it took him almost 300 years to get there. The point is that while Rumpelstiltskin can be a bit...slippery, he's also very good on following through his deals to the letter and expecting people to do the same. The trouble is that he plays with words too much, so often less than clever persons might not fully understand what they're bargaining for, and Rumpelstiltskin will be the first to tell you that all boons, particularly magical ones, come at a price. He believes this even of good magic, because he refuses to believe it is really so different from evil magic, no matter what others say. While contracts can be amended for new favors, he does not do this lightly, and he's proven himself to be especially vicious to people who fail to meet their end of a bargain.
Being Mr. Gold has affected Rumpelstiltskin in terms of personality and mannerisms, as mentioned before. For one, as the "respectable" but still quite shrewd Mr. Gold, he saw himself perhaps as not necessarily more attractive, but less beastly. It allowed him to see himself as the man he once was, but enhanced. It is strongly implied that he regained himself the quickest among the cursed denizens of Storybrooke -- likely the second Emma came to Storybrooke and mentioned her name in his presence, if not before. However, twenty-eight years playing a specific role can have an effect on a person. With regard to him, specifically, he appears overall more patient, and less overtly like he's toying with everyone he talks to. Regardless of his appearance, the more impish inflections and propensity toward inappropriate laughter are all but gone, his voice reflecting his deeper, more normal voice from before, with perhaps a slightly more sophisticated turn of phrase. He does less with his hands, where once every thought expressed aloud seemed to come with numerous dramatic gestures. He's still one to mince words just a bit, but he does so with an air of a crooked but ridiculously effective lawyer rather than fae. What he maintains, other than his love of fine print, is a rather explosive temper. When angered, he has always been quick to retaliate, often with violence or at least a strong verbal lashing. In this state he might be quick to draw conclusions where there should be none and say many things he will regret later. There are few people who can rile him up that far, and even so they have to try hard. His exchanges are more a game of cat and mouse, and he only loses his temper when the advantage is stolen from him and it takes him by surprise, such as learning his wife was alive, or if he has some pent-up aggression to deal with, seen in his encounters with Belle's father, whom he blamed for her supposed death.
He has killed thoughtlessly and without remorse, and this is important to note. Very few people other than himself have mattered in the grand scheme of things, and if truly angered the only thing that seems to keep him from threatening the life of another person is if they are already imminently useful to him in some way, part of some greater plan.
It needs to be noted that since Emma Swan's arrival in Storybrooke, Rumpelstiltskin has gone through some significant changes all on his own. He did finally come to terms with the poor decisions he made that led him to losing his son, and he seemed quite ready to make amends, until, of course, he discovered he had opened up to an impostor. Despite a tearful revelation (no different, really, from his sudden desire to change his mind after it was too late when he first lost his son), he seemed to become all the more intent on his goals as a result. He has even, at Belle's behest, attempted to do more good and less magic, in general, but it's a promise that he repeatedly breaks. Most of the time he has simply kept it hidden from her. It's important to note that he seems to be willing to TRY to change for her, but he has also recently seen reason enough to be completely honest with her. He's a coward, and he will likely continue to be a coward. He uses magic, and he will likely continue to use magic. His willingness to attempt for her sake, and later Baelfire's sake, at least puts him back in a position he was in before the boy disappeared. For a while, it meant there were two people in existence that could sway his judgment and keep his "light" glowing, as the Blue Fairy put it. Discovering that Henry Mills is Baelfire's son, making Snow White's family now part of his family, expanded this even further. The trouble is that he recognizes that magic is a crutch, and he's lived almost his whole life relying on one crutch or another, so he's not at all certain he really can stop. "I can't walk without it," he tells Belle.
Changes from the Barge and the End of Season 2: On the Barge, Rumpelstiltskin found a little more courage, if nothing else. As he would have at the end of season 2 without the Barge's intervention, he accepts his son's death and believes that fulfilling the prophecy and dying to save Henry is the only thing he has left to live for. (Because even he doesn't ever remember that the word "undoing," used in the prophecy, can have multiple meanings.) He returned to the Barge once hoping he could ensure Baelfire's survival, and a key difference between him and a Rumpelstiltskin thatn ever went to the Barge is that even if Bae were to have survived, he would still be willing to let the prophecy go as planned. Perhaps the Barge and its existence gave him some hope or understanding that death may not be an end for him. Perhaps if he can't save Bae from death, he can be with him in the end after all. Yes, probably the most accurate summation of his change from Storybrooke to Barge and back again is that he has a stronger sense of calm. The fear that has motivated so much of his actions until now does not have so strong a hold on him anymore. He is still the Dark One, but it was not the Barge's job to change that. True love can break any curse, yes, and it is very possible that his own love for his son may have the power to do that in the future, if fate allows it.
Why do you think your character would work in this setting? He wants to study (possibly copy/steal) the technology that allows them to move from world to world and time to time. Accepting of his own fate, he wants this with the possibility of having a way to send his family home safely after he's died. I would like for him to open an antique and pawn shop, with various strange items from any worlds associated with the community turning up there (assumed to be coming in with regular shipments) -- people can hock their stuff or trade an item as collateral for money, etc, but the strange things that begin to appear, sometimes familiar things, sometimes potentially magic things, will be the bigger draw. The idea is for it to have something of a Needful Things feel, but it's also a creative way to keep little familiar things coming in so the people here don't become homesick so quickly.
Inventory: In hand he'll naturally have the clothes on his back and his cane. There will also be a trunk, enchanted to be bigger on the inside, containing:
-His full wardrobe
-A spinning wheel
-Straw
-His books
-Several of his magic knicknacks, including invisible chalk, baefire's scarf, the fairy godmother's wand, a simple gold ring, and others, most of which are kept in smaller locked boxes. Will ask for mod permission for other specifics if it's key to plot type stuff, well beforehand.
-Belle's cup, repaired.
-A gun and ammunition.
-Naturally, the Dark One's dagger. Also kept in a locked box, in a hidden compartment in the bottom of the trunk.
Samples: And now for the hard part! If you need a prompt for your samples, refer back to the Applications Page.
Third-Person Sample: (This is a sample I wrote for amatomnes, but I didn't really get to use it in character, and I was really proud of it.)
You can think of her, if you want.
Of course he had to wake up thinking those words, but he drew in a long, straining breath, like his lungs were stretching tiredly with the rest of his body, and he was satisfied to feel that the collar did not stifle the movement of air as it had. There remained odd sensations tickling the parts that still slept, pleasant ache, the nerve endings remembering spasms of pleasure come hours before that the thinking part of him tried not to dwell on.
Because he shouldn't. Because what happened the night before simply had to happen. It wasn't love or hate or even indifference. It was life or death, and while this damn collar was choking the life out of him he still hesitated, but not forever. Obviously, because there he was. Alive.
Now he was alone in bed, and he was glad of it, especially as he became still more conscious, more aware of how...soiled everything around him felt, including his own body and his memory of her.
When he had believed Belle dead, he had never allowed his mind to wander there. Not far. No matter how often it continue to occur to him, again and again, that she had been the one, and Regina had assured he would not see that for what it was.
Nearly three hundred years, and he had imagined that his first time after all of that, if it would come at all, would be something special. Something he would share with her, something he wanted to share with her, someday.
Instead it would be a complete stranger, who laughed a little when he said he didn't love her. It sounded mocking. He assumed it was. It didn't matter. Not to her. Not as far as the collar was concerned. And so he did what he had to do to stay alive. He tried to touch this stranger as a man would who did not live so much of his existence as one whom nearly nobody wished would touch them. To hold this person to him the way he would have her, and sometimes, when it mattered, when he was still thinking, it worked. He could close his eyes and think it was her soft hand that gripped his shoulder, her thigh brushing his side. And then he could spend half a minute losing his mind to his body's demand for release and not feel absolutely wretched -- for just a moment -- because somewhere, someone wanted him, and he would never see her again, or his son, if he did not find it in himself to stay alive.
Now he rose and dressed, even though he knew he would up-end himself into a bath shortly. His ankle complained, and he had to lean on the wall to get his trousers on. He never slept naked. It felt just as unnatural as the rest of the filth.
His eye caught the mirror on the wall -- he had been meaning to get rid of it. Now he thought of it again, because the man who stared back at him, a sheen of dried sweat marring his already rather mundane features, looked far too much like the pitiful excuse for a man he had been before there was ever a dagger with his name on it.
First-Person Sample: (Pretty much everything in this post clearly illustrates his general attitude at present. His first exercises as a Warden can be seen here as well as other exchanges. Below is a shorter sample from the main thread.)
[After his new Inmate denies hiding weapons he saw him throwing a blanket over.] Then put my mind at ease. [Because he looks oh, so troubled. He shakes his head.] Actually, I am going to make this very simple for you:
I don't care that you have weapons, and I won't until you give me a reason to care.
I don't care if you collect kittens with lasers mounted on their heads.
I don't care if you take mind-altering substances.
I don't care about your games or your plots.
...So long as I know about them. I won't even try to stop you in situations where others might. When you fail or succeed, we'll sit and have a chat about it. If you do something the rest of the Barge finds abhorrent and I am compelled to act on it, I will. If you are in danger from something other than your own machinations, I will intervene when needed.
Beyond that? [He shrugs.] I'm here. And I'll be watching. And I will probably always have something to say, but very rarely will I feel compelled to make you act.
Do you understand? Can we stop dancing about, now?
